Locks
by TopKat
Summary: What, is it our anniversary or something? Ice Cream and heights again...[akuroku][oneshot]


**Locks**

"Hey. Kid." Roxas looked up blearily, awakened from his brief nap. He blinked, and Axel peered at him with eyebrows raised. "What, Late night or something? You look bloody awful."

"Thanks." Roxas glared, and lifted himself up. His cheek felt cold when it left the table. "What is it?"

"Come with, will you?" He grinned, and Roxas groaned miserably.

"Aren't you old enough to look after yourself, Axel?"

"Not yet, nope. Come on...I'll buy you Ice-cream!" Another winning smile and Roxas stood up.

"Always with the bribery! And fine, I need to get out of this place." He brushed down his cloak and pulled at the hood, dropping it quickly over his head. Axel shot him a strange look. "What? I don't want to be seen with you!"

Axel rolled his eyes and jerked the hood down. "Ha ha, very funny. Now quick march! It's getting late." Roxas grunted and followed his lead, walking beside the older boy.

"So - remind me again why I do these things for you?"

"Duh. Because I'm the only one who'll talk to you!"

Roxas shook his head. "That doesn't work - because in case you haven't noticed, _Likewise_."

"Psssht. Demyx talks to me!" Axel pouted, folding his arms as they left the walls of the Headquarters and continued through the dark city. The lights all around lit up Axel's face, making him glow.

"It's Demyx. He doesn't count."

"Hah. I'll tell him you said that."

"You better not! He's the only one here who can make it look like I wet myself!"

"Yeah, the rest can just make you wet yourself."

"Not funny - They're all freakin' creepy." Roxas glared at him, then went blank as a thought came to him. "Hey, where are we going?"

"Straight to the top!"

"No, I mean right now." He lifted one brow at Axel, and recieved a knowing grin in reply.

"Same answer." The redhead pointed way above their heads, to the roof of the highest building. Roxas looked at him.

"Why?"

"The clocktower is gone."

Roxas smiled at the memory. "What, is it our anniversary or something? Ice Cream and heights again..." He pushed open the tower's door and followed Axel inside, pointing immediately to the Elevator. "There is no way I'm climbing the stairs."

"Wasn't going to ask you to." Axel had already pushed the call button, and was standing hands in pockets before the elevator. Roxas stood quietly beside him.

"Why today? Seriously."

Axel shrugged. "Today seemed as good a time as ever."

"Is this about..." The key appeared in his mind, frighteningly vivid. "Is this about what I said to you a couple days ago?"

Again, his friend shrugged. "Probably. I've been thinking. I think we need this... Even if it is the last time." The elevator dinged and both boys stepped inside, the silence palpable as Roxas realised this actually wasn't all in good fun. He only hoped the plan wasn't to push him off of the tallest building in town.

The ride in the elevator was silent, and Roxas simply wondered why that was okay - because strangely, it was. He didn't feel the need to fill the silence with words, because...somehow it had already been filled. With what, he didn't know. When they reached the top, he glanced at Axel - the boy's face was set in resolution.

They both walked out onto the rooftop, and just like last time, the sky was aflame with colour. Pink and orange hues painted a wash across the sky, blending into one another and disappearing when they hit the great dark line that was the horizon. Axel sat on the edge and looked down, his face tumultuous. Roxas looked at him worriedly, and forced an uneasy smile. "We never did get that ice-cream."

Axel laughed quietly. "S'pose not...I...Roxas, I-" He sighed. "I wanted to make this the thing you remember, you know? This is what your time here was like. But that's a lie." He laughed bitterly. "Everything here is a lie. The way I feel about you - about everything - is all a big fucking lie! And what do I get for being able to fool myself? Emotion. Fat lot of good that's done me, and it's not even real."

Roxas couldn't think of the right words. He sighed. "So this is about me leaving." Axel shook his head.

"No, it's...it's actually not. I just...can't stand this."

"Stand what?" Roxas leaned over to see his friend's face, frowning.

"Living. Without a heart."

"Axel." The redhead looked at him dully, his eyes listless and without their usual fire. "You're not a lie."

Axel laughed again, a harsh bark that made Roxas twinge inside. "Oh, yeah? Really." he shook his head. "If I'm not a lie, why do I keep on trying to pretend I can feel?" He hissed his breath in and out, and looked at Roxas. The strangest thing was in his eyes - something building, like a storm. He took Roxas' face in his hands and pressed those lips to his own.

Roxas_ could _feel.

There was something running like electricity through him, and not one single part of him was even questioning his friend's actions. All he could possibly think about was the fire coursing through his veins and why he'd never felt this _good_ in his life before - and wondering why this brief connection was such a rush.

Axel pulled back, smiling grimly. "There you go. That's why we're up here. So I could spurt some crap about emotion and hearts and feeling, and so I could...do that." Roxas found himself struggling not to laugh...which didn't make sense, because he'd never felt such loss before in his life.

"You kissed me." Was the only thing he could say, and Axel rolled his eyes.

"Yes. Yes I did."

"Why?" Roxas felt a little dazed - his entire body was heating, a blush spreading across his frame all too rapidy. "Wait. No." He didn't know what he wanted to ask.

"Well?" Axel looked frazzled, his face redder than Roxas had ever seen it before.

"Why_ me_?"

At this, the redhead put a hand to his forehead, staring into the distance and watching in silence as the sun disappeared. "I...It couldn't have been anyone else." He laughed, covering his eyes with his arm. "Wow. We're in a whole field of corny...but I mean it. No one else can...well, no one else can make me feel. At all."

"Axel, we don't exist."

Axel nodded, his eyes on the ground as the air around them faded to a definite black. "And you're still going to leave."

"Of course."

"Of course."

"But I...I might not, Axel. I might not...I...I just haven't made up my mind yet."

"Stay."

Roxas glared at him, face drawn into a scowl. "You can't be that selfish, Axel. None of us can. I can't."

"Why not? That world you're trying to save doesn't care about you, Roxas."

"How could you know?"

"Well, for one...you don't exist."

Roxas was silent for a few moments, his eyes drawn only to the lights below them that shone obnoxiously. He looked back up at Axel. "So you're gay?"

Struck dumb, Axel laughed - genuinely. He covered his face with his hands, breathing slowly until he could look at Roxas again. "What kind of a question is _that_?"

"I dunno, you kissed me!"

"So? Maybe I don't know. Maybe I don't have to know."

"How could you not _know_?"

Axel shrugged. "Okay, then. Which are you?"

"Straight." Roxas replied immediately. Axel raised his eyebrows.

"And yet when a _guy_ kisses you...you don't exactly push him away."

"I was in shock! How was I supposed to...This is so stupid. Since when do I care who you're attracted to?"

Axel laughed again, heartily. "I missed this."

"What, idiocy?" Roxas replied with a smirk.

"Nice way of putting it, but yeah. I _did_ miss the idiocy."

"And to get the idiocy back, you decided to..?"

"Complicate things." Axel smiled, putting an arm around Roxas' shoulders. "It's just in my nature."

"This makes leaving you alot more difficult." Sighed the blonde, his shoulders slumping as he stared out into the night.

"That's the idea."


End file.
